Image capture devices, such as digital video cameras or digital still cameras, are used in different applications and environments. For example, video cameras may be used to capture video scenes with fast motion or rapidly changing scenes, such as sporting events, vehicles in motion, a bird in flight, or the like. At normal frame rates, e.g., 15 frames per second (fps) or 30 fps, a rapid change may be reproduced as a blur or may be missed. Video cameras may be designed to record at a fast frame rate, such as greater than 30 fps (e.g., 60 fps or 120 fps), such that a fast motion scene can be displayed in slow motion, e.g., at 30 fps or 15 fps, thereby showing more motion details of objects.
Recording at fast frame rates may present several challenges. As an example, recording video at a fast frame rate generally requires greater storage capacity, e.g., a relatively high amount of memory and/or storage space. Hence, in some cases, the fast frame rate mode may be subject to a time-limited recording interval due to memory limitations or other implementation considerations. With a limited recording interval for fast frame rate recording, it may not be possible to start recording substantially in advance of a motion event. For example, if fast frame recording is started earlier, the recording interval expires earlier, possibly limiting the amount of actual motion that can be recorded.
An operator of a video camera may attempt to manually start recording at a fast frame rate just before the onset or during the course of fast motion or a scene change. For example, the operator may attempt to press “record” just before the kick of a football, a bird takes flight, a balloon bursts, a car passes, or a golfer begins the backswing. However, this method relies on the reflexes of the camera operator, and the responsiveness of the camera to the manual input, either of which may result in a fast motion or scene change event being missed partially or entirely in the recorded video.